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Home»HighBank serves as exclusive financial advisor to Aeras on the sale of its Contract Manufacturing Operation to IDT Biologika

HighBank serves as exclusive financial advisor to Aeras on the sale of its Contract Manufacturing Operation to IDT Biologika

June 23, 2015

HighBank Advisors (“HighBank”), a Baltimore, Maryland based mid-market investment bank, announces that it was the exclusive financial advisor to Aeras on the sale of its Contract Manufacturing Operation, or Biopharmaceutical Development Center, to IDT Biologika (“IDT”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Aeras is a non-profit biotech organization with offices in the U.S., China, and South Africa, working to develop new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. Based in Dessau, Germany, IDT is a privately-held company with more than 90 years of experience researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing biologics for the global protection of human and animal health.

As part of the transaction, the parties have entered into a long-term strategic partnership which allows each organization to focus on its core strengths. Aeras will concentrate its resources on its world-class TB vaccine development while IDT will leverage its significant international management capabilities to grow its U.S.-based vaccine contract manufacturing capacity. IDT and Aeras will jointly share occupancy of the current Aeras location in Rockville, Maryland.

“This was a highly complex transaction with very unique circumstances,” said Jacqueline E. Shea, Ph.D., Chief Operating Officer of Aeras. “While executing under a condensed timeline, the team at HighBank brought invaluable relationships, insights and execution capabilities in leading the sale process. Any owner or senior management team contemplating an M&A transaction would be well served to partner with HighBank.”

Stephen Gaines, Managing Director at HighBank, stated, “We are excited to have worked on this transaction alongside the high-caliber team at Aeras. Their leadership built an impressive facility with world-class employees. IDT saw value early on in the sale process and will now become an important strategic partner for Aeras. We wish both organizations tremendous success in the future.”

About Aeras

Aeras is a nonprofit biotech advancing the development of tuberculosis vaccines for the world. In collaboration with global partners in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe, Aeras is supporting the clinical testing of six experimental vaccines as well as a robust portfolio of earlier stage candidates. Aeras receives funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UK Department for International Development, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Australian AID, and a range of other governments. Aeras is based in Rockville, Maryland; Cape Town, South Africa; and Beijing, China. www.aeras.org

About IDT Biologika GmbH

Founded in 1921 the company focuses on three core areas – animal health, vaccines and pharmaceuticals. IDT Biologika offers innovative solutions for next generation vaccines. IDT Biologika, a global leader in MVA technology, develops new technologies for multiple innovative vaccines. The company offers development services and manufacturing facilities for clinical phase I to III as well as commercial supplies for leading-edge viral and bacterial human and animal health vaccines. IDT Biologika is one of the few companies worldwide with the capacity for large-scale campaign manufacture of vaccine batches of different vaccine products using multipurpose production technology. IDT Biologika is a company of the Klocke Holding Group. The Klocke Holding Group companies specialize in contract manufacturing and packaging of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and cosmetic products. With more than 1,800 employees at six locations in Europe and the USA, the traditionally family-owned Klocke Group offers comprehensive services for production and packaging of pharmaceutical products.

About HighBank Advisors LLC

HighBank is a full service mid-market investment bank and financial advisory firm. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland with regional offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Raleigh, North Carolina, the firm provides advice on mergers and acquisitions, raising capital, exit and transaction planning, business valuations, fairness and solvency opinions, loan workouts and debt restructurings, and distressed asset sales. HighBank was formed on a mission that our clients and our people deserve to have their highest expectations met and to receive higher value for their investments of money and time. For more information visit www.highbank.com.

All investment banking services are provided by HighBank Securities LLC (“HBS”), a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA www.finra.org and SIPC www.sipc.org. HBS is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HighBank Advisors.

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